By Chika Otuchikere
There are strong indications that the Presidency plans to break the ranks of the senators in order to foil the Upper House move to override President Muhammadu Buhari on the new sequence for the 2019 general elections.
Under the move, the Presidency has penned down four Senators it considers as the arrow-heads of the plot to override Buhari and will dig into the records for possible trial for official misconduct.
Among the four Senators, one of them, has a case in court and is likely to have more charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The others are to be properly monitored and even harassed by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in the bid to silence them.
Among the four Senators, two of them are top ranking while the other two are from Kano and Plateau States while the ranking senators are from Kwara and Enugu States
It was learnt that the Presidency has remained disturbed after both chambers of the National Assembly unanimously voted against the election sequence as presented by the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC).
Following the Presidenta��s refusal to assent the amendment of the Electoral Act which places the National assembly before the presidential poll, the legislators have been blowing hot on their resolve to overrule Buhari by passing the amended Act into law.
Already, the Federal High Court in Abuja headed by Justice Ahmed Mohammed has restrained the National Assembly from taking steps to override Buharia��s veto of the amended Electoral Act.
On Wednesday, the leadership of the ruling All progressives Congress (APC) stormed the National Assembly to lobby the Senators against overriding Buhari on the bill.
But a top government official told The AUTHORITY that the Presidency is aware that the Senators are united in their position on the election sequence and so, a�?if they are allowed unfettered powers to vote on the issue, they are likely to overrule the President and upturn the INECa��s election sequence.
a�?So, the plan is to get some key players among legislators into trouble thereby reducing their voting bloc. These key players will include the officers in the chamber and some former governors who have thrown their weight behind the Senate position.
It was learnt that the Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, are among the senators the Presidency plans to clampdown on and charged them of corruption. Others are some former governors in the Senate, including former Akwa Ibom State governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio, his Kano State counterpart, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and former Plateau State governor, Senator Jonah Jang.
The source said: a�?Saraki, Kwakwanso, Akpabio, Ekweremadu and Jonah Jang are some of the prime targets of the Presidency.a�?
Election Sequence: Presidency to break Senate ranks
